


Daithi the Dog

by ArgentRose



Category: Banana Bus Squad
Genre: Alternate Universe, Daithi is a dog, Fluff and Crack, M/M, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, a very cute dog, lowkey based on one of the GTA 5 vids where Daithi transformed into a westie
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-22
Updated: 2020-09-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:47:04
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 3
Words: 7,793
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26559178
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ArgentRose/pseuds/ArgentRose
Summary: As Brian is about to go for a run one morning, he finds a small west highland terrier on his doorstep.(Alt summary: Brian takes care of Daithi while he’s stuck as a dog. Rated T for swearing.)
Relationships: Brian Hanby/Daithi De Nogla
Comments: 4
Kudos: 44





	1. Part 1

**Author's Note:**

> 🚨 DISCLAIMER: 🚨 This work is not intended to infringe upon the original work/works' copyright. This was made purely for entertainment and creative purposes only. All representations of the characters/people featured are not meant to reflect upon any of the Real Life people or officials. Although this work features a ship, any relationships featured are not meant to be imposed upon people in real life.
> 
> ALSO!!! Please do NOT send this to Terroriser, Daithi, Vanoss, Moo, Delirious, or anyone associated with them. This is by a fan for a fan only. Please do not harass the boys, their significant others, families, friends, etc., and let's live our best shipper lives here on AO3 only. Thank you.
> 
> ~~~~~~
> 
> This was HEAVILY inspired by Vanoss/Delirious/Terroriser/Daithi's video where they turn into animals in GTA 5. Characters represented are their own mascots on their channels, not their GTA characters.  
> Here's Delirious' video where you can see the one of the moments in question: https://youtu.be/o5Kz3YMp3HA?t=1057

Brian had woken that morning at the early rays of dawn, the sunlight pouring softly into his bedroom room. He climbs out of bed and gets ready for the early morning, changing quickly into athletic gear. If he wanted to get in some exercise before the weather got too unbearable, he would have to leave now. He whistled along to the song playing on the radio, “La Vie en Rose.” When the song ended, he quickly went over the things he’d need for his morning run. Water, check. Watch, check. His gear was on and with a firm nod to himself, he headed for the front door.

But when he opens the door, a small dog bolts right inside.

“Hey!” He chased after it until it hopped on top of his couch. It padded its small feet and settled down, acting like the place that it had intruded into was its home. Brian groaned; so much for going for a run. He goes back to shut the front door before stalking over to the small animal, inspecting it.

It certainly didn’t smell foul, and its fur was soft and fluffy, oddly enough. If it was a stray, it was far too clean. Upon closer inspection, he noticed that there was a green collar around its neck and a small toy headset on its head. There’s a phone in its mouth, a phone that he recognizes as Daithi’s phone. Puzzled and curious, he inspects the collar. On the small silver tag is a name.

A name that reads “Daithi Nogla.”

“When did Daithi get a dog?” he asks aloud, more to himself than the dog. Not that it would understand him anyway. It appeared that mentioning the name “Daithi” had caused the small animal to let out a soft and happy yelp. He goes to pet the admittedly cute creature, but stops short. He had his suspicions about the seemingly innocent thing. 

First of all, if this was Daithi’s dog, then he should try and reach out to return the small animal. Not that the task would be easy by any means; the small creature had essentially  _ stolen  _ Daithi’s phone and made off with it. Calling him would be out of the question. He  _ could  _ go to Daithi’s place and ring the doorbell, but what if he wasn’t home? He couldn’t leave the small dog outside on its own. Waiting around for Daithi to come home seemed counterproductive to his own day too. He’d return the dog, but only if he knew that Daithi would make the time to wait for him. Again, with his phone here, that option seemed to be out of the picture.

Secondly, how the hell did it know where he lived? Assuming that it  _ was  _ Daithi’s dog for a minute, there had been absolutely no time in which Daithi brought the small creature over to his place. Daithi never even mentioned owning a dog.

“Are you Daithi’s dog?” he tried asking the innocent animal. It tilts its head at him, and Brian swore that he could burst into tears. He could take care of the animal for the time being, right? At least until Daithi would come claim it. If his pet was missing, he might run around Los Santos for a time to place posters up or he’d panic and come straight to Brian’s place. He always did that. Curiosity still claimed the majority of his headspace, though, and he wondered about how the tiny dog could have picked up his scent. And traverse the whole of Los Santos to find his apartment.

“How did you find my apartment anyway? Daithi never took you here.”

This time, the dog barks at him. It was a series of tiny yelps, as though it was trying to talk to him. Not that it could use normal English. Brian takes a step back, wondering if his question somehow managed to offend the small animal. “Sorry, sorry. I—”

The doorbell rings then, and the small terrier takes off towards the door. Brian chases after it, trying to get it to calm down before he opens the front door. The last thing he wanted it to do is to run off before Daithi could even pick it up. Hopefully it was Daithi who was beyond the front door.

It isn’t; instead, when he opens the door, Evan smiles at him. Then when the small westie starts barking, he looks down at it curiously.

“Uh, Brian. When did you get a dog?”

“I didn’t. It...it found my house.” Brian mentally slaps himself. He probably sounded fucking high right now.

Evan stares back at him. “The dog...found your apartment?”

Brian nods, despite how insane it must have sounded. The westie licked his leg then and Brian nearly jumped out of his own skin. Evan laughed.

“Look, did you come here for something?” Brian hissed, scowling at the man in front of him. He’d scowl at the dog, but it was far too cute for a reprimand.

“I did, I did,” Evan answered. He followed Brian inside, door shutting behind him. “It was about Daithi.”

Daithi? Brian looked at him curiously. Hilariously, the small dog looked up at Evan too. “What about Daithi?”

“He’s missing.”

Brian could feel his stomach drop. Daithi was missing? He tried to list off possible locations that his friend could be spending time in (Lui’s place, Tyler’s, anywhere he’s been with Daithi before), but the sudden flurry of barks from the dog interrupted his thoughts. Thinking and recollecting seemed beyond his capability, at least at the current moment. “What happened?” he asks instead. “ Last we texted, he was in his apartment.”

“Yeah, that’s what happened on my end too. Brock’s too. I tried to see if Jonathan could get in contact with him, but he hit a dead end too. I thought that you might have some luck, seeing as you two are pretty good friends.”

_ Yeah  _ , Brian thought.  _ Good friends  _ . It wasn’t like he felt any sort of romantic attraction to Daithi or anything. Nevertheless, he feared that something had happened to the man he had some feelings for. Part of him regrets not saying anything, but his own feelings were of no importance right now. This was Daithi’s life on the line. He snaps from his thoughts when the westie had managed to hop onto the island in the center of the kitchen. It crossed the counter and started to lick his hand.

Both Evan and Brian could only stare at it. At least before Brian picked the small dog up and placed it back on the floor. His cheeks turned a prominent shade of pink.

“I haven’t tried calling him yet, but I don’t think the effort would be worth anything,” he continued finally. He watched as the dog took off back towards his couch, spinning around atop the blanket before it lay down.

“What do you mean?”

“His phone...Daithi’s phone...the dog brought it with him when he arrived on my doorstep.”

“Wait, what?”

Brian leads him over to the living room, picking up the phone lying on the couch. The dog watches them lazily.

“Yeah...that’s Daithi’s phone,” Evan noted. He took and turned the device in his hands. “Are you sure he didn’t leave it over here?”

“He was never at my house last night. I’m telling you the truth when I said that the phone was in the westie’s mouth when it showed up on my doorstep.”

Evan stares at him. Before he could ask anything more, the doorbell rings again, the small dog leaps off the sofa and bounds back over to the door. Brian chases it down for the third time that morning (at least he was getting exercise of some form, right?). When he opens the door, he finds both Brock and Jonathan standing there. Why was everything and everyone coming over to his place? He just wanted to go for a run...

“Hi, Brian,” Brock greets cheerily. He looks down at the small west highland terrier and his serious resolve breaks down immediately. “When did you get such a cute dog?!”

“I didn’t! It showed up on my doorstep!”

Brian watched as Brock held out his arms. The dog happily jumps into his embrace as he scoops it up, cradling it like a baby. Brian had to admit (and he isn’t sure why) that he felt at least some jealousy towards Brock. Or was it envy? Regardless, that was his dog after all (well, it wasn’t but it  _ technically  _ was). Both Brock and Jonathan enter the apartment, and Brian exasperatedly closes the door. The dog hops out of Brock’s arms and stands at Brian’s feet, as though waiting for him to pick it up. Brian stares at it, slowly caving in as the dog gave him the  _ cutest  _ set of puppy eyes he had ever seen. He sighed, crouching down to pick up the westie. It licks his cheek hesitantly (something that earns him odd stares from Brock, Evan, and Jonathan).

“So...” Evan starts after a few minutes. The dog had long since been placed back on the sofa, where it stared up at Evan curiously. “...are we going to talk about Daithi?”

The dog barks at him three times. While Brock coos about how cute it sounded and Brian glared at him, Jonathan walked over to inspect the dog. He did what Brian had done earlier; inspect the tag, look at the tiny headset. Then Jonathan asks the dog, “Are you Nogla?”

Brian is about ready to laugh and tell him how ridiculous he sounded, but he gets surprised when the dog nods at the question. Maybe he was imagining things because there was no way that the dog could understand Jonathan’s question. He watched as Brock’s expression turned slightly awkward. He joined the dog on the sofa; it responded to his action by hopping onto Brian’s lap and sitting down comfortably.

“Okay,” Evan says awkwardly. “Uh...Brian, can you tell us what happened this morning?”

“I was going to go for a run. Just my usual, you know. But this morning, when I opened the door, this little thing—” He gesticulates to the dog that had now moved to sit beside him on the sofa. “—darts straight into my apartment and settles on the sofa. That’s it. I don’t know where it came from, but I guess...it’s funny because when I asked how it even found my apartment, since Daithi never mentioned having a dog nor has he ever brought one to my apartment, it started barking at me. Like it was talking.”

He could at least be thankful that it was his friends that he was telling this to. Anyone else might think he was insane. Hell, his friends probably think he’s insane, but they’re nice enough to not say anything. Judging by their expressions, they looked like they certainly thought he had gone off the rocker.

Trying to move the conversation along (and shake his own awkwardness off his conscience), Jonathan decided to speak. “Have you tried calling Nogla?”

“As I’ve already told Evan, the westie brought Daithi’s phone with it here.”

Brian watched as Brock, Evan, and Jonathan exchanged glances with one another. He frowned. Was there something they knew that he didn’t?

“How do we tell him?” Jonathan asks.

Brock and Evan shrugged.

“Tell me what?”

Jonathan pointed at the west highland terrier that had moved back to a standing position. It stared him down, trying its damndest to seem intimidating but only achieving the same level of threat as a teddy bear. “The dog...the westie...that’s Nogla.”

Brian is pretty sure that they had to have been high. Or they were trying to pull a prank of some form. It wouldn’t work on him, but he would admit that it was amusing. “That’s cute.”

“We’re serious, Brian,” Evan interjects. “Think about it. A dog that you’ve never seen before shows up outside of your apartment. The name tag says ‘Daithi Nogla.’ It has Daithi’s phone. It has something that looks exactly like the headset he uses. What are the chances that this  _ isn’t  _ Daithi?”

“Plus, he coincidentally had been missing this morning,” Brock adds. He shifts back and forth uncomfortably, expression drawn as though he was cringing at something he had done. Brian hopes it was guilt for picking up his dog. “It just adds up.”

“It can’t be Daithi,” Brian insisted. “It can’t be. A dog that kisses my hand and cheek can’t be Nogla.”

“Nogla, go to the door,” Jonathan ordered. The dog did so obediently.

“Daithi, go to Brian,” Brock orders after. The dog happily bounces over to Brian, nuzzling against his side.

Okay, they  _ probably  _ got him. He uncomfortably moves away from the dog, standing to stare at the small creature. When it looked up at him, it started whimpering sadly.

“God, I want to feel sorry for him so fucking bad,” Brock groaned. He lifted his glasses up to rub his eyes.

“What do I do? I can’t take care of Daithi!”

The dog’s ears drooped this time. Brian could feel his own heart breaking at the sight.

“You’re gonna have to, at least until he turns back into a person.” 

“What if I...I don’t know…”

“Knowing you,” Brock continues, “you aren’t going to hurt him. Sure, you have your differences with one another, but when it really comes down to it, you can’t hurt each other.”

Brian stared back at Daithi, the dog. He had laid his head down on the blanket, blinking slowly. With a sigh, Brian sits down beside him, petting from the top of his head down to his tail. He repeated the motion, and with each gentle pet, he found himself getting used to it. It was soothing in a way.

“We’re gonna head out,” Evan announced. “Give us a call if you need help with...Daithi.”

Brian nodded, still unmoving from his position. He started contemplating about how he would take care of Daithi. He’s a dog, at least currently he was. He’d have to be fed dog food, wouldn’t he? How would he use the bathroom? And where would he sleep? Brian didn’t have any dog food or a dog bed. He did have some newspapers that he figured Daithi could use for the time being (and chuckled at the prospect of Daithi having to use newspapers instead of a toilet). He watched as Daithi had fallen asleep, the prospect sounding pleasant for him as well. But he had work he had to do.

He starts on the grand task of babysitting a puppy by gathering what newspapers he could and laying them in the corner of his bathroom. Part of him contemplated if he should leave a sign up so he and Daithi don’t use the bathroom at the same time, but he could probably figure that out later.

Now, he needed to get dog food. The closest market was Checkout!, but it was still miles away from his apartment. If he could, he’d drive all the way to Animal Ark, but Harmony was too far from West Vinewood. Plus, he can’t leave Daithi alone by himself; he could care less about how Daithi would treat his furniture. He didn’t know if the man...or more accurately, dog...could defend himself. Part of Brian also desperately wanted to know what it would be like to do things with a dog. Not that it might be any different than doing things by himself, but if Daithi was a dog, then he might as well take advantage of the fact that he technically had a pet now.

With a low hum, he walks back over to where Daithi lay. When he sat down, the dog jolted awake, alarmed.

“Sorry, sorry,” Brian apologizes. “I didn’t know that I’d wake you up.”

Daithi stares at him curiously, head tilting slightly. Brian could squish his cheeks right then and there. He laughs, patting the spot beside him on the couch. Daithi walks to him and sits.

“It’s kind of weird...having to treat you like a dog.”

Daithi makes a little noise akin to a hum. Brian can only smile at him.

“I guess that’s what we’re both stuck with, though. How’d you even turn into a dog in the first place?” Brian shakes his head slightly. He had to focus. “I’m taking these headphones off. I need to go to the market and buy you some dog food. Do you want to stay here or come with me?”

Daithi immediately jumps from the couch and bounces over to the door. Brian follows after him.

“I guess we can buy you a leash on the way there. I don’t have one.”

Daithi barks at him and then stands on his hind legs, front paws swinging towards his “owner.” Brian raises an eyebrow at him when the westie repeats the action. After the third time (and a whimper), he finally picked up on the fact that the terrier wanted to be carried. Brian laughed and rolled his eyes. He bends down to scoop Daithi up into his arms. “You’re going to be a fucking spoiled brat, aren’t you?”

After a brief struggle to lock his apartment and carry Daithi down the stairs, the two make it into the garage. Brian opens the door to a red sports car, plopping Daithi down in the back seat. He almost contemplated seatbelting him, immediately regretting that he didn’t have a dog harness on him. Daithi barks at him and sits down in the seat, and Brian takes it as a sign that maybe he’d be alright. He chuckled and started the car, driving slowly out of the garage and onto the main road.

The drive didn’t consist of anything important. Daithi had been quiet in the backseat for the most part, and surprisingly still. He’d bark from time to time if he saw something that dogs usually took fascination in (like a squirrel; Brian still couldn’t tell if part of him had merged into a dog or if he was just doing it to be funny). They reach their destination after some time, Daithi hopping out of the car as soon as Brian opens the door. He stared down at the small dog.

“I don’t trust that you’re going to want to walk around the market right?”

Daithi looked up at him and whimpered. Brian took it as a sign that meant “no.” He sighed and grabbed the nearest shopping cart. After he lowers the child seat, he plops Daithi on top.

_ It’s like bringing a baby to the grocery store,  _ he thought. “Don’t do anything stupid, alright? I don’t want to get kicked out before I even reach the dog aisle.”

Daithi gives him a small yelp, response likely akin to “Don’t worry, Brian, I’ll behave.” Brian would  _ hope  _ that was the response at least. He would pray that was the response he got.

He entered the store, greeted by the sight of fellow shoppers giving him a weird look. Had they never seen a puppy in a shopping cart before? Not wanting to remain the attention of the store, he goes straight to the dog aisle. Unlike the other two dogs in the aisle, Daithi remained relatively behaved (something that even Brian was surprised by). He’d occasionally look around at the other dogs and bark at them (before Brian asks him to shut up), sniff at some of the toys (before Brian told him to stop), and lick Brian’s chin (which Brian had remained silent about).

Brian stops pushing the cart when he reaches the leashes, picking out an emerald green leash to match the collar around Daithi’s neck.“I think green suits you,” Brian says with a soft smile. He got one weird stare from another shopper in the dog aisle before they hightailed it from the pet care section.

When he reached the dog food, he could see Daithi’s tail wagging quickly. Brian goes to pick out one of the small sized bags, hoping that this whole “Daithi the dog” situation would end before he’d have to get another. Daithi whimpers when he puts the bag of dog food in the cart. Brian raises a brow at him.

“Please don’t tell me that you want the ‘bad stuff,’ Daithi.”

Daithi stuck his tongue out and smiled at him.

_ Oh God,  _ Brian groans. No, he wasn’t going to cave to Daithi’s puppy eyes and cute smile. Why was he going to argue with Daithi the dog about good food and bad food? Yet here he was, telling his best friend sternly, “No, Daithi. We’re not getting the dog treats. Those are bad for you.”

Daithi’s ears droop, causing Brian to roll his eyes and pat his head. He moves on through the dog aisle and grabs a dog harness for his car, along with some dog shampoo. If he was going to be taking care of Daithi for however long it would take for him to turn back into a person, he might as well be serious about it. While he was still at the market, he decided that he could pick up another week or two of groceries for himself.

By the time he had made it back to his car with a trunk full of stuff, Daithi had been tucked into the backseat with his dog harness on. He prods at it with his front paw, clearly uncomfortable. Brian laughed. “It’s only temporary. Once we get home, I’ll take it off.” 

The ride from the market was about the same as the ride to the market. Only this time, there were far more whimpers and a lot more barking from Daithi, likely him complaining about how uncomfortable his harness was. When they (or more accurately, Brian) had to carry groceries to his apartment, Daithi had dashed to the front door in no time. Brian had stacked all the grocery bags in his arms to save himself from making two trips. He had to put a few down to open the front door, though. With the front door open, Daithi runs straight into the living room, almost ready to jump onto the couch and relax while Brian struggles to bring the last of his groceries in from the hall outside.

“Don’t you dare get on the sofa,” he shouted. “I need to wash you!”

Daithi looks at him, slowly inching closer to the furniture. Brian groaned, dropping his task of unpacking for the moment. He quickly fishes through the bags for the dog shampoo and walks over to pick up Daithi.

Not that he made it easier for him. He bolts around the living room, forcing Brian to chase him.

“Daithi! For fuck’s sake! It’s just a bath!”

Daithi barks back at him, likely yelling something about how baths were the epitome of a dog’s hell. Not that Brian would know if that was really what he was saying.

He eventually catches Daithi and scoops him up like a baby. He hauls the dog into his bathroom, closing the door while he draws warm water in his bathtub. Daithi prods at the door, only going to Brian’s side if he whistled for his attention and when he had to remove the green collar. A few minutes passed before Brian finally felt the water was lukewarm enough for a dog. He hauls Daithi back into his arms and gently plops him down in the water.

“See? It isn’t that bad, is it?”

Daithi barks at him. At the back of his head, Brian could hear Daithi screaming at him, “It’s cold as fock!” He chuckled and started to wash him.

When he had to apply the dog shampoo, he played with Daithi’s fur (making a tiny mohawk on top of his head, to which Daithi barked at him) and made sure to be extra careful around his face. He started to massage the top of the westie’s head, allowing the small dog to rest his head on his free hand. Daithi’s eyes started to close as though he was falling asleep. Brian smiled, the sight causing his cheeks to warm. He finished the shower by washing Daithi off with the lukewarm water. A towel was finally draped over the small dog and Brian dries him off gently.

“It wasn’t that bad, was it, Daithi?” he asked softly.

Daithi looks up at him and licks his chin. Brian opens the door for him and watches as the small dog races over to claim his spot on the sofa. He resumes his unpacking of their groceries. 

The hours pass by relatively quickly. Brian had joined Daithi on the sofa after some time. He opted to watch some TV, lazily flipping through the channels until he had landed on a Christmas TV station. While watching the movie, he had fallen asleep. The blanket that Daithi had once claimed as his own was draped over his body as he curled up on the couch. Daithi somehow managed to worm his way beneath the blanket and napped beside Brian.

Neither of them woke until it was late evening. Close to dinner time, Brian stirred awake. Slowly, he sat up, rubbing his eyes. When he looked around the couch, he found that it was empty; it was only him. He jumped up immediately, heart pounding loudly in his chest.

“DAITHI?!” He screams, desperation in his voice.

A distant bark sounds from his bedroom, the small dog making his way down the stairs. He hopped onto the couch and placed his front paws on Brian’s thighs. He lets out a sigh of relief.

“Don’t do that,” he scolds. “I thought I lost you.”

Daithi tilts his head cutely once more. He followed Brian into the kitchen, waiting as the man prepared him his dinner. Brian had retrieved two small bowls for Daithi to use as dog bowls. He placed a significant helping of water in one and food in the other. The bowls were set on the floor, the westie going to eat immediately as Brian prepared his own meal.

After dinner, the two had retreated back to Brian’s room. Brian had gone to the bathroom to clean, leaving Daithi on the bed. The small dog did circles on the bed, trying to make a small nest for himself. When Brian had finished and came back out, he saw that half of the covers were gone. They were bundled into a small, makeshift dog bed by the culprit who sat so comfortably in them.

“Daithi, I need blankets too,” he sighed. He used his towel to wipe the remainder of the water from his hair, tossing it back on the rack. “Do you want to sleep on the bed?”

Daithi gives him a curt bark. He pats the blankets with his tiny paws before lying down. Brian laughed and joined him on the bed. He could settle with using the one blanket, he supposed. He shuts the lamp on his nightstand off, turning on his side.

Halfway through drifting off to sleep, a tongue, wet and slobbering, licks the nape of his neck. Brian sighed, turning to face the dog sleeping beside him. Daithi hesitantly licks at his cheek before settling in on his nest of blankets.

“Let’s talk for a bit,” he starts. The westie tilts his head again. “Daithi. All of this...licking...why are you doing it? Fucking...why am I asking? You’re a dog.” He rubs his face. “Go to sleep. Hopefully tomorrow, we’ll figure things out.”

He didn’t turn his back yet. Instead, he waited and watched as Daithi settled in beside him. He looked far too awake to sleep though. Brian figured as much when the westie started to nuzzle his hand. Brian blinked a few times, trying to keep himself awake. Gently, he massaged the top of Daithi’s head, watching as he slowly but surely started to close his eyes. He isn’t sure how long he’s been massaging the top of his head, but soon enough, Daithi had finally fallen asleep. Brian smiled, sitting up to place a kiss on top of the dog’s head.

“Goodnight, Daithi,” he murmurs. He lays back down, not taking his eyes off of the sleeping puppy. Half an hour passes, slowly ticking into the hour mark. It took him some tossing and turning, mentally complaining about how fucking cold he was (curse Daithi for stealing his blankets) before he fell asleep.


	2. Part 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Note from Argent: I figured that I might as well post the last 2 parts together. Hope ye enjoy!

Brian woke up the next morning not at his usual time. The morning light had long since streaked into the room, the sunlight bright and blinding as it peeked through the curtains. It was close to ten-thirty in the morning when he had sat up. He turned his head to look at Daithi. But there was no longer a terrier on his bed. Instead, he saw Daithi...human as he was born. A living, breathing, human being. He was curled up on his side, expression soft and almost at peace as he slept. His hair was disheveled, like it always had been, and he was dressed in an oversized olive-green tee and shorts. 

Immediately, Brian jolts out of the bed. Daithi was right there in his room, sleeping soundly on his bed. Had this whole dog transformation thing only been for one day? Was it finally over? He’s tempted to take a picture on his phone (and he does). Shaken, he goes out of the bedroom and does rounds around the small apartment. When doing rounds started to get boring, he opted to get ready and call his friends over. Maybe they would have an explanation for this whole situation?

When he goes back into the bedroom, though, Daithi was a dog again. It was like black magic of a sort, which made no sense. Part of him wondered how Daithi must have felt if he knew that, at least since yesterday, he would be awake and in the form of a dog while at night, he was in his normal human body. Was it a daily transformation? Nightly? Was it a form of lycanthropy?

He grabbed his phone, immediately swiping it open. He sent three texts, one to Evan, another to Brock, and a final to Jonathan.

“Come over ASAP,” he wrote. Rushed and pumped full of adrenaline, Brian scrambled to get ready. By the time the small dog stretched on the bed, Brian had just finished gelling his hair.

“You should go get ready, Nogla. Evan, Jonathan, and Brock will be over in a bit.”

Obediently, Daithi scurried off to the bathroom. The dog comes back into the room after some time, tongue sticking out as he smiles. Brian wants to pick him up, but if what he saw just this morning was anything he could believe...he wanted to know how Daithi felt. Were they treading a line by spending time together?

He started scrambling to fix breakfast for Daithi and himself. By the time his friends had rang his doorbell (and Daithi ran over excitedly), he had been halfway done with his food. He wrenches open the door and rushes them inside.

Despite the awkwardness that had enveloped them yesterday, Evan, Brock, and Jonathan seemed relatively calm for the situation at hand. Brock had even picked Daithi up and sat him in his lap, across the counter from Brian. Almost like he was mocking him; not that Brian was bothered in the slightest or anything.

“Alright, we’re here,” Evan says finally. A little late, but Brian supposed the thought was there. Whatever it may be. “What’s up? Any developments?”

Brian stared at Daithi for a few seconds, trying to come up with words to describe what he had seen. There’s no way he’d sound sane if he described it. How was he supposed to explain everything? “Uh...Daithi’s human?”

Evan, Brock, and Jonathan shift their focus between Brian and Daithi, who was still clearly a dog.

“Can you explain?” Jonathan asks.

“How am I supposed to describe it? I woke up in this morning and saw Daithi? Except it wasn’t Daithi as a dog, but it was Daithi as human Daithi? How do you want me to explain things without sounding fucking insane?!”

Daithi leapt from Brock’s lap and crossed the room, tugging gently at the pants leg of Brian’s denims. Resigned to his fate, Brian picks him up and sits him in his lap.

The four sit in silence. The familiar chirp and screech of city life sounded behind the windows in the living room. Evan is the first to make any noise, clearing his throat.

“Sounds like you need to keep watch of him.”

Brian glared accusingly at him. “Excuse me?”

“It isn’t an insult if that’s what you’re so  _ uptight  _ about,” Evan snaps defensively. He stretches his arms. “Look, what I’m saying is that you’re going to have to keep watch until he eventually transforms back.”

“I  _ know  _ that.”

“From what it sounds like,” Delirious interjects, “he might already be turning back. At least, only when he’s sleeping. It sounds like...like black magic if that even exists...but let’s say that hypothetically, it does. If you keep doing what you did yesterday, it might be enough to get his body to change back naturally.”

Brock shrugged. “Or you could just kiss him.”

Brian gapes at him. He wasn’t opposed to kissing Daithi, but he...shouldn’t Daithi have a say in this? “I can’t just kiss him,” he says. Daithi’s ears drooped at the sentence.

“Why not?”

“He’s a dog for one…” Brian momentarily thought back to last night when he had kissed Daithi’s head. Well, that was one tick off his book because he did indeed kiss him. He shook his head. “I can’t kiss him, alright?”

“He licked you, didn’t he? In a way, he already kissed you.”

Brian is half tempted to toss Brock off the top of the building. Admittedly, Brock already made his case. He’ll give him that. Frustrated, he groaned and buried his face in his hands. Maybe Daithi sensed his distress or he felt guilty about...something? Whatever the case may be, the small dog leapt from his lap and walked across the apartment. Evan, Jonathan, and Brock watched as he climbed the stairs to the bedroom and disappeared. They glanced back at Brian.

“Now you just made him sad,” Brock marveled. There was a small smile on his face as he struggled to hold back his laugh.

“You don’t need to  _ fucking  _ rub it in, Brock.”

“Why don’t you go apologize to him?”

“For what?”

“You did just insult him,” Jonathan chides. “Who knows? Maybe you making him sad causes him to stay as a dog?”

If Brian didn’t have a reason to feel guilty before, he certainly felt that guilt weigh down on him now. Enough guilt and burden that he wants to smash his head against the wall. Although he’s tired and wants to kick them out of his house, he knows they're right. Even if this didn’t have any effect on Daithi staying as a dog, he still just insulted his best friend. It would spell disaster for their friendship more than anything else. Quietly, he trudges off to the bedroom. In the room, lying down on the bed, is Daithi. His ears were drooped, head resting on his front paws.

Brian shut the door behind him and walked over slowly. It took some time, but eventually, Daithi made space for him on the bed to sit down. They sat beside each other, Brian slowly running his hand over Daithi’s fluffy fur.

“I’m sorry, Daithi. I was being brash. I guess...I’m just frustrated.”

Daithi didn’t respond (not that he could). The silence is awkward, almost choking him. After some time, Brian opted to continue speaking. Maybe he could try and reason with Daithi or at the very least, vent his own frustrations out.

“My day yesterday went way differently than I had intended. I’m sure that it’s the same for you. Though, your day probably was way worse. I mean...you got transformed into a dog.”

Daithi growled this time, low but non threatening. Brian understood the noise akin to Daithi retorting, “Ye have no reason to complain, you fock.” It made him chuckle, a noise that caused one of the westie’s ears to perk up.

“You’re right. I have no reason to complain. I guess...you and I are both stuck with each other for a time. Unless you want Brock, Evan, or Delirious to take care of you.”

In a wordless response that objected to the suggestion, Daithi had tucked himself below Brian’s arm. He rested his head on Brian’s lap.

Brian could only laugh. “I guess that’s a no then?”

Daithi didn’t respond or move from his position, like a form of protest. (And also a “how dare ye suggest that” gesture.)

Brian lifts him onto his lap. Daithi licks his chin, drawing a blush to tint Brian’s cheeks. “That’s that then. You’re staying with me. We’ll get through this together, alright?”

Daithi lets out a soft bark before Brian places him back on the floor. The small dog followed closely behind him as he walked back into the kitchen. There, Evan, Jonathan, and Brock looked at the two curiously.

“Well?” Brock asks expectantly.

“Daithi and I will be fine.”

“Good,” Evan sighed. He stood from his seat immediately. “Now get your things.”

Brian stared at him, raising an eyebrow. “Why?”

“Seeing as Nogla’s stuck as a dog, we figured that it could be fun to go to a dog park or something,” Jonathan giggled. “Imagine, Nogla running around the park or the beach and shitting all over the place.”

Beside him, Daithi barks as though agreeing to such a devious plan. He trots over to the front door and stares at Brian with anticipation.

“See? He’s excited.”

Brian groaned again. Still, he didn’t think he’d mind going on a walk with Daithi. Even if it wasn’t a proper walk with the human version, it was still the equivalent of a date, right? He could live happily in his head. He grabs Daithi’s leash, collar, and a few other small items for himself. He walks over to attach the collar back around Daithi’s neck, picking him up in his arms. When he notices the grimace that Evan gave him, he ignores it.

“If we get kicked out of the park or warded off the boardwalk, I’m blaming you, Delirious,” Brian spat bluntly. He laughed when Jonathan rolled his eyes.

Brian wasn’t one to complain about going anywhere with his friends. In fact, they all were having as much fun as Brian was having. Although, he didn’t account for the three to hang back and  _ snap photos _ . They’d take photos of Brian cradling Daithi in his arms, laughing when the small dog tackled him on the sand...he can’t really complain.

It was true that Daithi had been nothing but  _ adorable _ since they had arrived and took a walk. When he walked or ran beside Brian, he did a little bounce. If he was eager to explore something (be it a nook or cranny, the hot dog stand, or anything that a dog would find interest in), he’d tug lightly on the leash and lead Brian in whatever direction that he had set in his head. For the most part, he ignored all the other dogs...though he would be stupid enough to dare to bark at a big dog, challenging them. Brian’s lost track of how many times he had to apologize to the dog’s owner and scoop Daithi up in his arms and walk away. He chastised Daithi about it, not that it did anything.

The five had departed long before the sun had started to set. By the time Brian had driven himself and Daithi back to his apartment, the small dog had been exhausted. He did his paw trick and forced Brian to carry him back up to the apartment. Brian himself felt tired, but he still had some energy in him. At least, enough to wash and cook.

Their night ended the same as the previous night. Daithi claimed half the bed and blankets for himself. Brian complained about it, but didn’t do anything to get his bedding back. He tried sleeping, but Daithi was far too hyper to go to bed. So he resorted to doing the same thing that he did the previous night; he massaged the top of Daithi’s head until the small dog finally fell asleep. When it was his turn to drift off into a deep slumber, he dreamed of his date with Daithi.

Only instead of holding a leash, he was holding Daithi’s hand.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Apologies for any errors that may have been in the chapter before! Rookie mistakes by me...I'll make sure to correct anything and everything next time!


	3. Part 3

Each morning when Brian woke up, it was always before Daithi did. Everyday thus far, he would glance over every morning to see Daithi was still sleeping. It had been the same scenario every morning; Daithi would be human when he was sleeping. When Brian stepped out to get himself a glass of water or get ready, he’d come back to see Daithi was a west highland terrier again. Part of him started to wonder if anything would change. Seeing the same thing in and out made him wonder if Daithi was doomed to stay as a dog. If he brought the question up to his friends, they all would tell him the same thing.

“Give it some time.”

And he did. Time and time again, he would wake up early and see Daithi as a human. He lost track of how many days it had been and how many times he’s seen the same phenomenon day in and day out. It didn’t wear out its welcome at all, but Brian could feel his own anxiety creeping in on him. Every time he sent a glance in Daithi’s direction, one question always ate at him.

Was he not doing enough?

He’d have to take it into his own hands, he figured. Seeing as time had started to run its course and no natural changes had happened...he would have to bite the bullet and cave in on his own fears.

On the seventh morning, Brian sat up without hesitation. He was still tired, like the sleep he had gotten from the previous night was nonexistent. When he willed himself to sit up, the muscles in his body almost didn’t want to cooperate. They were still trying to recuperate from slumber. When he looked at Daithi, the man was sleeping on his back this time, likely from turning so much in his sleep. Brian shifts on the bed, positioning himself so that his lips hovered over Daithi’s own. Slowly, he leans down, each inch that he got closer prodding at the tight feeling in his gut. He tilts his head slightly, trying to swallow the lump in his throat. Boldly, Brian takes a deep breath and presses their lips together in a slow, sensual kiss.

And he wondered why he never dared to kiss him earlier.

Daithi’s lips were soft and pillowy, smooth against Brian’s own. They tasted faintly of honey and vanilla, reminding him of sweets. They were pliable when he moved his lips, pressure soft and gentle. Though he wants to keep himself in his current position for much longer, he pulls away with a happy sigh, watching with his own breath hitched in his throat as Daithi opens his eyes. They stare at each other, gaze soft and full of love. Brian licked his lips, eyes darting between his best friend’s sleepy eyes and deeply flushed lips.

“Morning, Daithi,” Brian whispers hoarsely.

Daithi blinks up at him, trying to get a sense of where he was. “What happened, Brian?”

“Do you want the long story or the short story? Because to sum up everything that happened right now, I just kissed you.”

Daithi chuckled. His cheeks had turned a darker red and he looked away, embarrassed.

“And to put things simply, you were a dog. A west highland terrier. You showed up at my door a week ago...in the morning.”

“Please tell me I didn’t do anything focking stupid.”

Brian half smirked. He was tempted to retort something smarmy, but held back. Daithi was probably confused. The distressed look in his eyes was telling enough; he wasn’t looking for a laugh. He wanted answers. “Nothing that a dog wouldn’t do,” he says simply. Hopefully it was specific enough that the taller man would understand what he meant, but also vague enough for him to not feel so guilt-ridden.

Daithi stands immediately, Brian mirroring the action. He sways slightly, still trying to get used to standing on two legs again. When Brian rushes over to help him, Daithi doesn’t object. He took the hand that was offered to him, squeezing it tightly. “I’m sorry, Brian. I didn’t mean to do anything stupid, if I did do something stupid. Knowing me, I’m sure I did...”

“Well, you kept giving me dog kisses, but I wouldn’t call it stupid.”

Immediately, Daithi’s eyes go wide. “Fock. Brian, I’m sorry. I didn’t...I shouldn’t have…”

“I didn’t say I didn’t like it, you fool.”

Daithi stares at him, visibly confused. Brian took the opportunity to press his lips ever so gently against Daithi’s once more, his hands cupping the nape of the taller man’s neck. This time when their lips touched, a million sparks felt like they had gone off in his head. The pressure against his lips is real and he knows what it is doing to him. It truly was maddening how long he had waited to do this. He can’t explain the way his stomach churned or the way the warmth in his cheeks bloomed. He can’t explain the way his thoughts have melted into the only desire that had been kissing Daithi’s lips. He can’t explain anything, but everything felt so right. Brian is the first to pull away, but the temptation to dive right back in for another kiss was there.

“You know. If you wanted to give me kisses before you were turned into a dog, you could have just asked,” Brian teases. He laughed when Daithi rolled his eyes.

“Yeah, I’ll remember that next time, you focker,” Daithi snaps back. Though his tone had sounded relatively aggressive, the loving expression on his face said otherwise. “I guess I should also say...thank you. For everything. I don’t know who I would’ve turned to if you weren’t here.”

Butterflies bloomed in Brian’s stomach again, the smile on his face not vanishing. He gives Daithi another peck on the lips. “I love you too much, you know that?”

“Yeah. And I love you too.”

**Author's Note:**

> Here's another work lowkey inspired by one of their videos! :) 
> 
> Thanks for taking the time to read my stuff. Take care of yourselves, and I hope ye enjoyed. :)


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